Equipment displacement systems (SAD) for the Jules Horowitz Reactor

Design, manufacturing and installation of equipment for targeted, component-irradiation testing

Background

The equipment displacement (SAD) systems inside the Jules Horowitz reactor are designed to satisfy the needs of technological irradiation reactors over a 50 year period. They provide valuable support to research and development work currently being conducted on the fuels and equipment used in Generation 3 and 4 power reactors, and will be utilized in the production of artificial radionuclides for medical and industrial purposes.

The concept that was finally chosen consists in installing equipment displacement apparatus (SAD) on the floor of the reactor pool. This apparatus has the capacity:

To be remotely controlled from the rim of the pool

to load and unload the various components of a particular material or equipment to be tested,

to move each component individually to a pre-defined position in order to measure the level of irradiation incurred by the component

To position the elements with a high degree of precision (adjustment pitch of 0,3 mm +/-0,1 mm) for an accurate control of the level of irradiation